Indonesia
Dozens of students from the Japanese Literature and Japanese Language Education Study Programmes at the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS), Universitas Brawijaya (UB), listened intently to Toshio Amagasa’s presentation. Amagasa, a representative of Mikoshiren Jakarta, a community dedicated to introducing and preserving Japanese culture in Indonesia, particularly Omikoshi, shared his insights during the session.
Omikoshi is a key icon in Japanese folk festivals, represented by miniature shrines symbolising the vehicles of Shinto deities. These shrines are typically carried and paraded around villages or from one shrine to another in gratitude for a good harvest and as a plea for protection against disasters.
The guest lecture, focused on the history, values, and significance of Omikoshi, was organised to prepare students for receiving an Omikoshi from Mikoshiren Jakarta. The event took place in Meeting Room 1 of the UB Library on Tuesday (23/4/2024). Mikoshiren Jakarta was accompanied by representatives from the Consulate General of Japan in Surabaya, underscoring their partnership.
In addition to gaining knowledge about Omikoshi, some students had the opportunity to practice assembling and lifting the Omikoshi. During the assembly process, Amagasa and his colleagues patiently guided the students in installing and securing the wooden blocks around the Omikoshi. They worked collaboratively to ensure every part was firmly attached. 
Following the lecture, Amagasa invited all the students to take turns experiencing the lifting and carrying of the Omikoshi. This activity holds deep cultural and spiritual significance in Japanese society. The students were enthusiastic and eager to follow Amagasa’s instructions.
Ferdyan Rizal Mahlafi, a student from the Japanese Literature programme, shared his experience of assembling and carrying the Omikoshi. “It is a great honour to be taught how to assemble Omikoshi by native Japanese. Moreover, not all students get the chance to practice directly with experts. It wasn’t awkward at all because everyone spoke fluent Indonesian and was very friendly,” explained Ferdyan, also known as Ferdy.
For Ferdy, the experience of carrying Omikoshi was no less exciting. He admitted that he was very excited when he tried to carry Omikoshi with his friends.
“Although it was initially challenging to synchronise our movements, the chants led by Mr Amagasa made the burden feel lighter. Overall, the process was very exciting,” he added. [trans.acl/ed.vidya/PR FCS]